The Jamestown Community College Alumni Association, Jamestown Campus, has added three JCC alumni to its board of directors: John Bauer, ‘71; Matt Kindberg, ‘05; and Juanita Rublee, ‘93, all of Jamestown. The trio joined the board on Jan. 1.

“This is an exciting time for the JCC Alumni Association as we launch new initiatives to connect with more than 20,000 alumni and the thousands of current students who will soon become alumni,” said Kristen Johnson, the director of alumni relations at JCC. “Because the board plays a central role in the success of these efforts, it was the perfect time to add the unique talents and perspectives of these civic-minded individuals.”

Bauer earned a degree in social science from JCC and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from SUNY Fredonia in 1973 and an associate’s degree in accounting from Jamestown Business College in 1993.

Bauer, who is retired, has long been deeply involved in the community and has worked with the Babe Ruth World Series Committee, the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, the Jamestown Family YMCA, the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, the Jamestown Gateway Train Station, LucyFest, the Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce, the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, the Kiwanis Club of Falconer, the Fluvanna Fire Department, the Jamestown Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Jamestown Riverfront Council.

Kindberg teaches Global History and Geography for the Clymer Central School District. A graduate of Jamestown High School, Kindberg earned an associate’s degree in social studies from JCC. While at JCC, Matt served as a student ambassador and as a member of the Student Senate. During his sophomore year, he served as the student trustee to the JCC board of trustees. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in social studies adolescent education in 2007 and a master’s degree in literacy education in 2010, both from SUNY Fredonia.

For the last two years, Kindberg has served as president of the Clymer Education Association. He is currently the vice president of the The Reg Lenna Center for the Arts board of directors. He is also a member of the Chautauqua Chamber Singers and is a member of First Covenant Church.

Kindberg is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Scott Kindberg and Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Brombacher.

For the last 12 years, Ms. Rublee has worked for Lamar Advertising, where she works to create effective billboard advertising campaigns for local businesses and organizations. Born and raised in Jamestown, she earned an associate’s degree in business administration from JCC and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing from SUNY Fredonia in 1995.

Ms. Rublee is a member of the Chautauqua Leadership Network, where she is the chairman of the Community Engagement and Public Relations Committee.

Bob Roth, Class of 1965, is out with his fifth book! It's called "A Successful Senior Year Job Search Begins in the Freshman Year" and it's designed to help more college students land great jobs in their areas of interest. It explains what students should be doing as they move through college, how it can be done, and why it is important to employers. Congratulations, Bob!

Our Class of 2014 alumni are already working to change the world, and we couldn't be more proud! Take Burgandi Rakoska, for instance: she's asking Disney to create a character with disabilities. Burgandi and her request were featured on WGRZ. Click here to watch the video, and click here to sign her petition.

Rebekah J. Malone, RN, BSN, Class of 1984, is being honored by Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare and the International Nurses Association for her exceptional success in the nursing community!

With a nursing career spanning 49 years, Rebekah has devoted nearly half a century to pursuing her calling. In her current role as a Certified Diabetes Educator for Olean General Hospital, where she was recently honored for 30 years of service, she has continued to demonstrate the passion, dedication, and enthusiasm for patient care necessary to be considered a Top Nurse in her field. In 1988, she was voted a Nurse of Distinction at Olean General Hospital. As a Certified Diabetes Educator, she provides patients with specialized education in diabetes self-management. She also provides diabetes education for school nurses locally and regionally.

Rebekah graduated from the St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing in 1965 as a Licensed Practical Nurse. She graduated from Jamestown Community College in 1984 as a Registered Nurse and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1997 from Daemen College in Amherst. In addition to her certification as a Certified Diabetes Educator, she is certified in Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support. She remains a member of the American Association of Diabetes Educators and the American Diabetes Association.

Community residents are invited to submit nominations for the 2015 Distinguished Alumnus Award, given by Jamestown Community College Alumni Associations in Jamestown and Cattaraugus County.

Each year since 1980, the college’s Alumni Association has presented accomplished alumni and friends with the Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Association’s highest honor. The award, now in its 34th year, is given to those who have typified the college’s tradition of excellence and brought credit to the college through personal accomplishment, professional achievement, or humanitarian service.

Nominees may have graduated from either the Jamestown or Cattaraugus County campus. All nominations are due by Monday, March 2, 2015.

Nominators can submit their nomination online. They also have the option of electronically completing a printable PDF or Microsoft Word document. In addition, nominators can contact the Alumni Relations Office and request that a nomination form be emailed or mailed to them. The office can be reached at (716) 338-1056 or via email at alumni@mail.sunyjcc.edu.

Paper forms must be returned to Alumni Relations Office, Jamestown Community College, 525 Falconer Street, P.O. Box 20, Jamestown, NY 14702-0020. Forms returned via mail must be postmarked by March 2, 2015.

All nominations are reviewed by representatives of the Alumni Association Board of Directors for both the Jamestown and Cattaraugus County campuses. Awards will be presented at the 2015 Commencement ceremonies.

Jeffrey R. Smith, Class of 1986, has joined St. Susan Center as its new executive director! Jeff has an extensive background in food service and hotel management and marketing and sales through several restaurants, the Marriott Corporation, and other private sector companies. He earned a degree in Business Administration here at JCC and went on to earn a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Mercyhurst University. To read more about Jeff, click here. Congratulations, Jeff -- and welcome back to Chautauqua County!

Kipp Reynolds, Class of 2005, has joined JCC as its new Coordinator of Media Services! Most recently, Kipp was a project manager at Digitell, Inc. where he managed technical support, programming, and logistics, as well as coordinated on-site production for streaming video clients. Kipp is also a graduate of the Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University.

As coordinator of media services at JCC, Kipp will be responsible for the research, design, and integration of technology in classrooms and other campus facilities. He'll oversee the day-to-day activities of the media services staff and will provide leadership and project management for the expansion and maintenance of technology-enhanced classrooms.

Elizabeth S. Lenna, Class of 1973, has left an indelible mark on JCC and the lives of its students — and it all stems directly from the sense of pride she felt at being a JCC alumna. According to a spokesman, "Elizabeth Lenna was never more proud of anything in her life than that piece of paper that said she had an associate degree from JCC."

Elizabeth and her husband, Reginald, established the Reginald A. and Elizabeth S. Lenna Foundation and endowed a scholarship designed to help JCC students who are transferring to St. Bonaventure University. The Foundation announced this week that it has quadrupled its endowment to $100,000.

Also through their Foundation, the Lennas established the Lenna Endowed Visiting Professorship, designed to bring a visiting scholar of national or global repute to St. Bonaventure and JCC for two weeks each year.

Thank you, Elizabeth and Reginald, for your commitment to enriching the lives of our students. To read more about the Lenna Foundation and its generous endowment, click here.

Congratulations to our newest group of alumni, and welcome to a network of more than 20,000 people! In August, 46 students were awarded degrees or certificates from JCC's Jamestown and Cattaraugus County campuses. Eight students earned high honors (3.50-3.99 GPA) and five students earned honors (3.25-3.49 GPA). To see the full list of graduates and their degrees earned, click here.